A reader of my blast email wrote for the other side of the state to say, in part:

Actually, I rather like Ron Paul. But he reminds me of Gene McCarthy, Mo Udall, John Anderson, etc., etc. -- all smart, principled guys who (perhaps because they were smart and principled) had no change of winning a nomination, much less an election.

Good luck

My reply:

Well -- Ron Paul has won elections. He has been a 10 time member of the US House. Not bad.

Plus, three times he won his seat without being an incumbent. That's quite a life of election achievement.